Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson distanced himself on Friday from the burning of a Quran in Stockholm on Wednesday, saying there was “no reason to insult” others.
“"It is difficult to say what the consequences will be. I think there are many people who have reason to reflect," the Conservative leader said at a press conference. "This is a serious security issue, there is no reason to insult people.”
Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden, burned pages of the Quran in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque on Wednesday, which coincided with Eid al-Adha, a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world.
The gathering at which the Quran was burned had been authorised by the police, in the name of freedom of expression.
Despite this authorisation, an investigation was subsequently opened for “agitation against an ethnic group,” due to the fact that the burning took place very close to a mosque.
Since Momika’s act, condemnations have poured in from several Muslim countries as well as the United States. In Iraq, demonstrators briefly entered the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday.
“It is of course unacceptable for people to break into Swedish embassies illegally,” Ulf Kristersson commented.
This latest episode could affect Sweden’s NATO membership process, which needs the green light from Turkey, whose authorities have vigorously condemned the Quran burning.
